Wellness Blog

Back pain can come from a number of causes, and Health on Earth Wellness Centers have a number of treatments that can help. Our Chicago chiropractors provide all-natural, non-invasive healing methods that not only help to alleviate pain but to correct the root cause of the agony. Sprains and strains are high on the list of causes, as are sports injuries, personal injuries and auto injuries such as whiplash, where a sudden jolt can damage ligaments and lead to pain in the neck and upper back. Other causes include a ruptured or herniated disc, a misalignment or subluxation that is creating pressure on a nerve, chronic poor posture and stress.

Pain Management Techniques Include Physical Therapy, Chiropractic Adjustments

Depending on the root cause of the pain, our pain management plans can include one or a combination of treatments. Sprains and strains often benefit from physical therapy, which consists of a series of stretching and strengthening exercises designed to fortify the area and restore mobility. Massage therapy is another effective mode of pain relief with its ability to relieve pressure, stress, and improve circulation to the affected areas. A chiropractic adjustment can be effective for pain the back caused by subluxations, disc herniations and pinched nerves. Our adjustments realign the spine and again alleviate pressure on affected areas. Adjustments can help improve posture, as can exercises and lifestyle suggestions that help keep the spine straight and head properly aligned.

In addition to managing pain, our chiropractic treatments can play an integral part of a wellness plan. We can design such a program that is individualized to your specific needs and lifestyle to help prevent against back injuries and pain in the future. The plan can include regular adjustments, massage therapy, and lifestyle advice along with nutritional counseling to help ensure your body is being properly fueled and maintained.

Have you suffered from pain in your back? What was the cause and how did you treat it?

If you are like many Chicagoans, you may spend long hours hunched over your computer, typing away on office emails all day. Unfortunately, poor posture and years of typing can lead to a repetitive stress injury known as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). And it’s not just typing on a computer that can be the cause – repetitive motions ranging from playing tennis or a musical instrument to driving a car for extended periods can also lead to CTS.

CTS is an incredibly painful condition characterized by a painful burning sensation, tingling and a weakened grip. Unfortunately for many patients, traditional medical treatments only mask this pain with prescription painkillers. While medication can provide temporary relief, unless the underlying cause is corrected, patients will continue to struggle with CTS pain.

Here at Health and Earth Wellness Centers, our Chicago chiropractors believe in doing things differently. Our whole body approach to wellness corrects the underlying cause for CTS pain, helping patients like yourself enjoy relief from pain.

How Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Can Contribute to Neck Pain, Back Pain, or Headaches

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused by swelling around the median nerve. When the nerve passes from the arm into the hand, it passes through a tiny channel in the wrist. If swelling occurs over time, the channel is narrowed, leading to pressure on the nerve, and CTS pain.

Our wellness centers use a combination of natural pain management treatments to relieve this pain. These treatments include gentle chiropractic adjustments and massage therapy. Restoring alignment through chiropractic care is important, as is gently massage the wrist to relieve pain and promote internal healing.

Did you know that simple posture adjustments can also make a tremendous difference for CTS sufferers? In fact, many CTS sufferers do not realize that they are also at risk for neck pain, back pain and headaches. Posture adjustments can help your entire body. If you spend your work day hunched over a desk, your lower back, neck and shoulders may also be strained and stiff. Our chiropractors will work with you and your office to ensure a proper ergonomic workplace.

Do you suffer from CTS? Are you frustrated with traditional treatments that “cover up” your pain, rather than actually correcting the cause? Our team can help! Share your story or post a question for our team below!

The holiday season is a time of celebration, a happy time to share with family and friends. It's also a time when we are prone to accidents, both in the home and on the road. Too often headaches, back and neck pain come right along with the decorations, presents and parties.

Chiropractic Care to Help with Common Holiday Injuries

Falls on the ice and auto accident injuries lead the list of holiday mishaps, but these aren't the only things to cause neck and back pain come November and December. Shoveling snow after a summer spent on the couch can lead to strained muscles. Hanging holiday lights and other decorations can cause falls and subsequent back pain, and stress about money for presents and finding just the right gift at holiday time can result in headaches and muscle tension.

Our Chicago chiropractors feature a wide range of therapeutic services. Chiropractic techniques help to alleviate stress on the spine and muscles and help to ease pain from holiday injuries. In addition, we feature: massage therapy to help relax your muscles, nutritional guidance so that you are eating the best foods to help you heal, instruction about corrective exercises that strengthen the muscles at support the back and neck and lifestyle advice on ways to lessen your back and neck pain, such as choosing a more ergonomic desk chair and how to pick the right shoes to help with pain management.

Health on Earth Wellness Centers offer two locations in the greater Chicago area. We keep early evening as well as daytime hours to help fit into your busy schedule.

Have you ever had an injury from a fall, auto accident or other incident around the holidays? Did chiropractic medicine help you heal? Share your experiences with our readers by leaving a message below.

If you use social media such as Facebook or Twitter, please follow Health on Earth Wellness Centers, your Chicago chiropractors. When you "Like" us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, you will receive regular updates about our chiropractic practice. You will also be able to share your experience with us and the rest of our followers.

"Like" Our Chiropractic Clinic on Facebook

Keep up with your pain management providers by visiting our Facebook page and clicking the "Like" button. When you join us on Facebook, you will receive update about our Tinley Park and Crestwood clinics as well as wellness updates and other helpful information about what is going on in the minds of your chiropractors.

We sometimes post links to educational or latest news articles about pain management, massage therapy and neck pain on our Facebook wall. Once you "Like" us, you will be able to see the links and comment on them.

Our Facebook page is also the place to look to see pictures of past events held at our clinics. You can also look at pictures of our team serving the community. If you want to start a discussion about spinal health or other wellness issues, our Facebook page is the place to do it. Check out the page to find prior discussions about health and wellness.

Follow Health on Earth on Twitter

Health on Earth Wellness clinics also use Twitter as a means to connect with our patients. Some of our tweets let you know about exciting workshops and events happening at our clinics, others give you information about the spine and the ways it impacts your body.

Following us on Twitter also gives you practical information right away. For example, if we need to close for the day due to inclement weather, you can simply check your Twitter feed to see if we have posted an announcement rather than calling the office.

By implementing social media we are able to interact with our patients through different communication channels so that they always feel up-to-date and knowledgeable about the acre we are providing.

Do you use social media?

Do your knees alert you to a change in the Chicago weather forecast? Do you have shooting pains that seem to emanate from one or both hips? If so, you may be one of the many people who suffer from arthritis. While we currently have no cure for this debilitating condition, there is a treatment that can slow its progress, reduce discomfort, improve your range of motion, and give you back your life again. You can get this natural, drug-free treatment from a chiropractor.

If your pain and stiffness symptoms seem to be coming on gradually with age, you may have osteoarthritis. Many of our bones have a protective layer of cartilage on each end that allows for easy joint movement. But after years of wear and tear, or following an injury, that layer of cartilage can degenerate, allowing the bones to rub painfully against each other. Many factors can contribute to or aggravate the pain and progression of osteoarthritis, including spinal misalignments that throw the body off balance. If you experience more pain and stiffness in one hip or knee than the other, you may be wearing that side out more rapidly because of just such an imbalance.

Pain Management and More

Chiropractic adjustment restores your body to its correct vertical balance. At Health On Earth Wellness Centers, when we manipulate the spine back into its proper alignment, the corrected weight distribution takes that extra nagging pressure off of arthritic joints, helping with pain management while slowing the rate of deterioration. Our adjustments also remove pressure from irritated spinal nerves that may be contributing to your pain. If you live in Tinley Park, Crestwood or surrounding areas and suffer from back pain, neck pain or osteoarthritis, we want to be your resource for Chicago chiropractic care.

What methods have you or your loved ones used to treat arthritic conditions in the past? Do you have any “old family remedies” or anecdotes you would like to share? Post them here!